Virat Kohli says 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last for India
Virat Kohli says the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last for India. His statement does not amount to a confirmed ODI or international retirement date.
- Virat Kohli told JioStar that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be the last World Cup he plays for India.
- He said winning the trophy is his motivation and that he is ready to give everything to that goal.
- The statement confirms an intention about World Cup participation; it does not announce retirement from ODIs or from international cricket on a specified date.
- Kohli has retired from Test cricket and T20 internationals, while the BCCI selected him for India’s September-October 2026 ODI series against West Indies.
- The 2027 men’s ODI World Cup is scheduled in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia and would be Kohli’s fifth appearance at the tournament.
Virat Kohli says the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last for India
Virat Kohli has said the 2027 ODI World Cup will be the last World Cup he plays for India, framing the tournament as the central target of the final phase of his 50-over international career. In an interview with broadcaster JioStar reported by the International Cricket Council on 26 September, Kohli said: "For me, it’s the last World Cup I’m going to play for India. And that is my motivation."
He added that the aim was to win the trophy and that he was ready to do whatever it takes. The remark is significant because it gives supporters a clear, direct answer on his World Cup plans after a long career that has already included four ODI editions. It is also a statement of intent, not a result: selection, form, fitness and India’s wider plans will still shape the route to the tournament.
Kohli’s wording is precise. He said 2027 would be his last World Cup for India. He did not announce that he is retiring from one-day internationals at a particular time, nor did he state that he is leaving all international cricket after the event. Those are separate claims and should not be read into this interview.
What Kohli has confirmed — and what he has not
The confirmed news is limited but clear: Kohli intends the 2027 50-over World Cup to be his final World Cup appearance for India. The Daily Star and AFP separately reported the same JioStar interview and quoted his focus on leaving everything on the field in pursuit of the trophy. That makes the statement more than speculation about a future squad; it comes directly from the player.
It does not set a retirement date. A player can describe a final World Cup without announcing whether he will continue in ODIs after it, or whether other international opportunities could arise before then. There has been no new BCCI release in the material reviewed that announces Kohli’s ODI retirement. Reporting the statement as a confirmed end to his entire India career would therefore overstate what he said.
There is an important format distinction, too. Kohli has already retired from Test cricket and T20 internationals, according to the ICC. His current India role is in the 50-over format. The BCCI’s squad announcement for the home series against West Indies included him in the ODI group, providing an immediate official selection context for the World Cup conversation.
Why the 2027 tournament is the focus
The ICC says the 2027 men’s ODI World Cup will be held in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The Daily Star reports that it is scheduled for October and November and would be Kohli’s fifth ODI World Cup. A fifth appearance would follow campaigns in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, giving the coming edition an unusually clear place in his international story.
Kohli won the 2011 World Cup with India. The most recent ODI edition ended in a final defeat to Australia on home soil in 2023. Those facts explain why he spoke less about a farewell and more about the objective of winning. His comments place the next tournament in competitive terms, rather than treating it as a ceremonial last appearance.
He also described the particular demands of the format. A 50-over World Cup, he said, asks players to sustain an intensity comparable to Twenty20 cricket over a much longer day and across a run of major matches. With the next edition set to be played away from India, Kohli said the challenge would take a lot out of a player.
The current ODI context for India
The news arrived before India’s three-match ODI series against West Indies. In its 16 September media advisory, the BCCI named Kohli in a 15-player ODI squad led by Shubman Gill, alongside Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and other senior and emerging players. The first match was listed for 27 September in Trivandrum, followed by fixtures in Guwahati and New Chandigarh.
That selection matters because it anchors the discussion in a present cricket role rather than a distant tribute. The World Cup is still more than a year away, but Kohli remains part of India’s officially named ODI group. The West Indies series is not a World Cup squad announcement and it cannot settle who will be selected in 2027. It does show that the player’s stated goal sits alongside active involvement in India’s current 50-over programme.
Rohit Sharma was also named in that ODI squad. In the same JioStar context reported by the ICC, Sharma said he remained motivated by the prospect of another World Cup campaign. His comments are his own and should not be treated as an announcement matching Kohli’s final-World-Cup statement.
A record that adds context, not a prediction
Kohli goes into this period as the leading century-maker in ODI history, with 54 hundreds. The ICC says he has made 1,795 runs in 37 World Cup matches, including five centuries and 12 half-centuries, while The Daily Star puts his overall ODI tally at 14,941 runs. These are useful markers of the scale of his career, but they do not guarantee a place, a score or a tournament outcome in 2027.
The 2027 event would be his fifth ODI World Cup, and he has already experienced both ends of the competition: a 2011 winner’s medal and a 2023 final loss. That history gives his stated motivation weight without requiring inflated claims about what happens next. The next task is the ordinary but demanding one for any player: performing well enough to remain in contention through the ODI schedule ahead.
For a broader account of the milestones behind this announcement, see Reddy News’ existing profile of Virat Kohli’s career, records, IPL journey and legacy. This update is deliberately narrower: it concerns a fresh statement about a specific future World Cup.
How supporters should read the statement
The most accurate shorthand is that Kohli has named the 2027 ODI World Cup as his last World Cup for India. It is not accurate to say he has announced immediate retirement, confirmed his final ODI, or declared an exact end date for international cricket. Those claims go beyond the interview and could create avoidable confusion around his playing status.
It is also too early to call the 2027 campaign a farewell tour. The World Cup is scheduled for late next year, and squad selection is not yet complete. India’s upcoming ODI fixtures will provide the nearer context. Readers following the side’s calendar can also use Reddy News’ cricket calendar: the matches to follow this week for broader fixture context.
The value of Kohli’s comment is its directness. Instead of leaving the question entirely to outside inference, he has identified the World Cup that he believes will close this part of his tournament career. Until he makes a further announcement, the responsible reading is to keep that confirmation separate from unannounced retirement claims.
What to watch between now and the World Cup
The next meaningful updates will concern India’s ODI selections, Kohli’s availability and fitness, the side’s performances in 50-over cricket, and the ICC’s tournament arrangements. Each should be evaluated on its own evidence. A strong series, a squad omission, a scheduling update or a new player statement may add context, but none should be retrofitted into a retirement announcement that has not been made.
There is a wider cricket reason to keep the language disciplined. Big-career statements can dominate discussion and obscure the match decisions that still define a team’s chances. Reddy News’ guides on reading decisions that change a game and how powerplay numbers reveal early-match patterns offer useful context for assessing the cricket itself rather than reducing every ODI to a farewell narrative.
For now, the public record is straightforward: Kohli wants one more World Cup for India in 2027, and he wants to win it. The rest of the story — including the timing of any ODI or international retirement — remains unconfirmed.
Reader guide
Article questions, answered
Short answers to common reader questions based on the reporting above.
Has Virat Kohli retired from ODI cricket?
No ODI retirement announcement was found in the sources reviewed for this article. Kohli said the 2027 ODI World Cup would be his last World Cup for India. That statement does not set a date for his final ODI or confirm retirement from all international cricket.
What exactly did Virat Kohli say about the 2027 World Cup?
Kohli told JioStar: "For me, it’s the last World Cup I’m going to play for India. And that is my motivation." He said the goal was to win the World Cup and that he was ready to give everything to that aim.
Where will the 2027 ODI World Cup be held?
The ICC says the 2027 men’s ODI World Cup will be held in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The Daily Star reported that the event is scheduled for October and November 2027.
How many ODI World Cups has Virat Kohli played?
The ICC says the 2027 tournament would be Kohli’s fifth ODI World Cup for India. He was part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning side and has also played in the 2015, 2019 and 2023 editions.
Is Virat Kohli currently in India’s ODI squad?
Yes. The BCCI named Kohli in India’s 15-player ODI squad for the September-October 2026 home series against West Indies. That selection is current-team context, not a confirmed 2027 World Cup squad place.
Sources and further reading
These references support the factual context used in this article. Links open the original publisher.
- India star confirms ICC Men’s CWC27 will be his lastInternational Cricket Council · accessed 27 September 2026
- Virat Kohli says 2027 World Cup will be his last for IndiaThe Daily Star · accessed 27 September 2026
- India’s Kohli says 2027 ODI World Cup will be his lastAFP · accessed 27 September 2026
- India’s squad for home series against West Indies and ROI squad for Irani Cup announcedBoard of Control for Cricket in India · accessed 27 September 2026
